Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

दीपं ददाति नो विप्रो मासमेकं निरन्तरम् । न भुंक्ते शाकपत्रं स एकाहारो निरंतरम्

Transliteration

dīpaṃ dadāti no vipro māsamekaṃ nirantaram | na bhuṃkte śākapatraṃ sa ekāhāro niraṃtaram

Translation

Jener Brāhmaṇa stiftete nicht einmal einen Monat lang ununterbrochen eine Lampe. Er aß kein Blattgemüse und hielt fortwährend das Gelübde einer einzigen Mahlzeit ein.

Word by Word

• dīpam: a lamp
• dīpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• dadāti: gives
• dadāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, parasmaipada, 3rd singular)

• no: not
• no: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: naḥ/nu (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (Vedic/poetic variant of ‘na’: not)

• vipraḥ: a Brahmin
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• māsam: for a month
• māsam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine, accusative, singular; qualifying ‘māsam’)

• nirantaram: continuously
• nirantaram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirantara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: continuously)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• bhuṃkte: eats
• bhuṃkte: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 3rd singular, ātmanepada)

• śākapatram: leafy greens/vegetable leaves
• śākapatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāka (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/संबन्ध): ‘शाकस्य पत्रम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun; masculine, nominative, singular)

• ekāhāraḥ: one-meal (a day)
• ekāhāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘एकः आहारः यस्य/एक-आहारः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• nirantaram: continuously
• nirantaram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirantara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: continuously)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice; contrasts neglected dāna with selective austerity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple courtyard with rows of lamps that should be lit for a month; instead, darkness around an unoffered lamp. The brāhmaṇa sits eating a sparse single meal, refusing simple greens, while devotees light lamps nearby.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity without generosity and worship is portrayed as incomplete; dharma integrates restraint with offerings and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna for an extended period (one month) is referenced (as neglected), alongside dietary austerity (ekāhāra).